SAD-AAP in a 'secret nexus' to malign me: Amarinder Singh

Chandigarh: Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Monday alleged a "secret nexus" between the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to "malign him" as both the parties see a "common enemy" in him.

"The two political parties seem to have ganged up together to malign me as they see a common and formidable enemy in me", he remarked. "Otherwise how come AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal got to know much in advance about the contents of the secret and sealed vigilance bureau report submitted to the Mohali court on Friday last which has to be opened on the next date of hearing on 25 October?" he asked in a statement in Chandigarh.

Congress leader Amarinder Singh. PTI

He said both the political parties were using the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) case, which was filed out of sheer "political vendetta" against him by the Badal family. "Since they (Akalis and AAP) do not have anything to say against me, they are using this case which the whole world knows was filed out of sheer political vendetta", he added.

Amarinder said both the Akalis and the AAP had a reason to come together to malign him as he has been "getting the public response from across Punjab" during his programmes.

"Moreover, the survey reports of all political parties including the Akalis and the AAP have put us (Congress) far ahead of others and that is why they have started finding a common cause against me", he remarked.

Punjab Vigilance Bureau had booked Amarinder and others on 11 September, 2008, in an alleged land scandal involving Amritsar Improvement Trust which was later taken by a builder.

The PCC president said he was not bothered about contents of the vigilance bureau report. "I have been fighting the vigilance bureau and its Akali bosses for last ten years and I don't mind fighting them for another ten years more, but what has surprised me is the confidence with which Kejriwal claims that the bureau was closing the case against me", he said.

"It is a clear case of Badal proposing and Kejriwal disposing," Amarinder remarked.

He said the AIT was not the only case filed by the vigilance at the behest of the Badals against him as he was facing another case in Ludhiana also. "I have maintained from day one that I have full faith in judiciary and all these cases will fall flat in the court of law. I don't need any special favours from anyone", he asserted.

He said the Akalis had another reason also as he has been vigorously raising the issue of Rs 6000 crore synthetic Bhola drug case of 2013 and had made it clear that no matter how much Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gets the investigations delayed, "he will ensure these are taken to the logical conclusion and the guilty are jailed".

The kingpin in the case a suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jagdish Bhola had accused Revenue minister Bikarm Singh Majithia of allegedly being involved in the case, which is being probed by Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Amarinder reiterated that no matter to what extent the Akalis and the AAP gang up together in trying to malign him, his stand against the corruption will remain the same. "Badals know it too well from their knowledge and experience as I have jailed them once and I will certainly jail them again for all their sins of omission and commission and I don't need any certificate from anyone, much less the AAP leaders", he added.